Isleworth care home residents get dramatic for a journey into Christmas past

Old festive traditions came to life at a care home in Isleworth, where residents welcomed an audience of local community members for a performance of seasonal activities. 

Care UK’s Charlotte House, on Snowy Fielder Waye, showed off their best acting skills for their own version of the nativity to revisit customs from Christmas past with younger generations.

The afternoon’s matinee performance was part of Care UK’s ‘Step into Christmas’ initiative, which aims to revive residents’ festive traditions, encouraging them to share memories with the local community. 

By blending storytelling, crafts and carol singing, the events create a space for meaningful intergenerational connection. 

On the day, residents and team members at Charlotte House came together to perform a traditional nativity play for an audience of community members, including a very special guest, Ruth Cadbury MP. Songs were performed by the Charlotte House Residents Choir, a group formed earlier in the year to bring music and joy to the home, with the carols also being adapted to be dementia-friendly.

The performers were joined by the local community, including relatives, members of the British Legion. Residents were delighted by an extra-special guest, as Hounslow’s Mayor, Councillor Amy Croft also popped in for a surprise visit. 

Resident Shirlie Turner, 88, said: “It was such a wonderful day, being part of the choir and learning all the songs has been so much fun. It was great to see the Charlotte House nativity play too; it’s such a well-loved Christmas tradition, and it brought back so many happy memories for me of my own childhood nativity plays!”

Elisabeta Carmen Surligeanu, Home Manager at Charlotte House, said: “Christmas is such a special time of year, and this event allowed us to honour those memories from residents’ childhoods of performing nativities for their own families. 

“Music is such a great way to support those with impaired memory, so it was lovely to celebrate Christmas traditions and support residents and their families by revisiting some classics.

“This was a wonderful opportunity to bring the local community together for a day of festive cheer and it was truly heartwarming to watch residents reminisce and share stories from Christmases gone by. 

“We’d like to extend a huge thank you to our local community for coming out to support the residents and making the day so joyous for all involved – their presence brought an extra sparkle to the day.”

For more information about Step into Christmas, visit https://www.careuk.com/Step-into-Christmas.  

Charlotte House is a purpose-built care home which has been designed to enable residents to live active and fulfilled lives, while also promoting independence. The home provides full-time residential, nursing and specialist dementia care for older people in Isleworth, as well as short-term respite care, and incorporates plenty of space for leisure activities and hobbies.